Indexing with theAIRS/Info Line Taxonomy

A Workshop for the 2001AIRS Conference in Orlando

Dick Manikowski, Detroit Public Library TIP Database & Subscriptions rmaniko@detroit.lib.mi.us

Workshop Objectives

To review the Taxonomy’s structure and design To introduce basic principles and practices in indexing To help participants recognize some of the decisions that have

to be made when using the Taxonomy To discuss Taxonomy maintenance and customization

procedures

Note—This workshop is heavily based on the model devised by Margaret Bruni for workshops offered at previous Conferences.

What Is a Taxonomy?

taks-on´--m 2: The systematic distinguishing, ordering and naming of type groups within a subject field: CLASSIFICATION(Webster’s Third New International Dictionary)

Taxonomies include: telephone Yellow Pages I&R directory indexes aisle directories affixed to grocery shopping carts Dewey Decimal system for classifying library materials

What Is theAIRS/INFO LINE Taxonomy?

A Taxonomy of Human Services: A Conceptual Framework with Standardized Terminology and Definitions for the Field, 3rd ed. The Information and Referral Federation of Los Angeles and the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, 1994.*

*Has been periodically updated by supplements

Indexing 101:Principal Types of Indexes Hierarchical (Classified) Index Alphabetical Index Keyword Index

Advantages Disadvantages

Groups like concepts together Is very difficult to develop

Helps users find “right” term Requires considerable training toindex well (may be difficult forvolunteers)

Permits extremely preciseindexing & searching

Hierarchical (Classified) Index

Alphabetical Index Advantages Disadvantages

Structure & use are familiarto most people

Terms must becomprehensive w/o beingduplicative (Blacks andAfrican Americans)

Access to terms isstraightforward

Users must know exactterm

Relationships betweenconcepts aren’t obvious

Focuses on aspects ofsubjects, not broaderstructure of subject

Keyword Index Advantages Disadvantages

Easy to generate Uncontrolled vocabularyforces users to look inmultiple places(Emergency Shelter andTemporary Shelter andEmergency Housing)

Doesn’t requireprofessionals toanalyze material

Meaning of words can beinconsistent (does fencerefer to something acompetitor does in anOlympic sport or to aproperty barrier or tosomeone who sellsstolen merchandise?)

The Bottom LineAlphabetical Index Keyword Index

Resource DatabaseManagement Staff

Labor intensive(staff need to makecase-by-caseindexing decisions)

Easy to maintain(index can beautomatically generated)

End-Users Easy to use(if proper term canbe identified)

Difficult to use(may have to look formultiple keywords & sortthrough false hits)

The agency has to decide whose convenience is more important—that of the resource management staff or that of the end-user.

The AIRS-INFO LINE Taxonomy is

a classified taxonomy (Hierarchical Display section) with an alphabetical index (Alphabetical Display

section) and a keyword index (Permuted Display section)

I&R software packages often permit access to the Taxonomyfrom all three points.

Taxonomy’s Hierarchical Display Divides human and social services into ten

Major Service Categories (with a separate eleventh Target Group Section), each branching into up tofive Levels of Classification

Each Major Service Category opens with an Outline for quick reference

Each term has a unique identification number (Taxonomy Code)

Each Taxonomy Term uses language from its field and has a precise and concise definition

See Also References to other related terms are provided to help indexers

Hierarchical Relationships

ND-160.180Exemplary Rehab

Certification

ND-160.200F idelity Bonding

Services

ND-160.950-30Home W ork Perm its

ND-160.950-95Youth W ork Perm its

ND-160.950W ork Perm its

ND-160Employee Certification

ND-180Employment Acquisition

ND-200Employm ent P reparation

NDEmployment

NLIncome Maintenance

Program s

NSSocial Insurance

Program s

NIncome Security

Taxonomy Branch

ND-160.950-95Youth W ork Perm its

ND-160.950W ork Perm its

ND-160Em ployee Certification

NDEm ploym ent

NIncom e SecurityLevel 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Alphabetical Display Taxonomy Codes Taxonomy Terms Term Definitions See Also References (which refer users to other

preferred terms of possible interest) Use References and reciprocal Used For References

(which refer users from non-preferred terms to preferred terms and vice versa)

Emergency Generators (BM-175)Programs that pay for or provide portable generators which allow access to power when there are outages. See also Domestic Disaster Relief (JR-150.150)

Emergency Grocery Vouchersuse Food Vouchers (BD-180.225)

Food Vouchers (BD-180.25)used for Emergency Grocery Vouchers

Permuted (Keyword) Display

Alphabetically displays each word in each preferred term in context

Food Stamp Recipients Food Stamps Food Vouchers Formula/Baby Food Government Surplus Food Distribution Natural Food RestaurantsOccasional Emergency Food Assistance Ongoing Emergency Food Assistance Pet Food

Doesn’t include codes, definitions, Use References or See Also References

Types of Terms Service terms describe specific services

– Low Cost Meals– Long-Term Care Insurance

Facility type terms describe what entities are (which often implies what they do)– Public Libraries– Senior Centers– Voluntary Heath Organizations

Major program terms describe commonly known major programs– Medicare– WIC

Types of Terms (cont.) Target terms* describe groups at whom services

and programs are targeted. Social Clubs/Events (a true service term) could be focused by combining it with:– Alcoholics– Pregnant Teens

*Target terms are meant to be used to modify service terms and should never be used alone.

Don’t confuse the concepts of targets and eligibility requirements.

Types of Terms (cont.) Modality terms* describe how services are

delivered. Service term Discrimination Assistance (another true service term) could be modified by modality terms:– Legal Representation– Advocacy

*Modality terms are meant to be used to modify service terms and should never be used alone.

Types of Terms (cont.)

Orientation/Philosophy terms describe services which are provided in a manner which accommodates a particular philosophy– Service term Pregnancy Counseling

(LJ-200.650) is a true service term which is subdivided into two Orientation/Philosophy terms:• Pro-Choice Counseling (LJ-200.650-65)• Pro-Life Counseling (LJ-200.650-70)

Types of Terms

Type of Term Can Be Used Alone Cannot Be Used AloneService Term Facility Type Term Major Program Term Target Term Modality Term Orientation/Philosophy Term

Types of Services(not Types of Service Terms) Primary Services (entry point services which an individual can

receive without already being affiliated with an agency)– Index primary services

Secondary Services (individual must already be receiving a primary service to qualify for a secondary service)– Don’t index as Child Care Centers a community center which

houses a Mutual Support Group for recovering alcoholic women and provides child care during their meetings. Only index the (latter) primary service.

Indirect Services (services for which an agency makes referrals to other agencies)– Don’t index as Emergency Food Pantries an agency which makes

referrals to providers but doesn’t actually distribute food. Index it as Information and Referral or as Specialized Information and Referral.

Types of Services (cont.)

Ancillary Services (services not important enough to index)– Don’t index as Speakers/Speakers Bureaus agencies

who provide individuals who only speak about their agency’s activities—virtually every agency does that. Instead, reserve the term for agencies who can provide speakers on a variety of topics

Phantom Services (services which are available so seldom that indexing them would be misleading)– If an agency purports to offer Temporary Financial Aid

when their resources permit it but investigation reveals that this happens very rarely, think carefully before indexing this service for their entry in your database

Types of Services (cont.)

Type of Service Should Be Cited in Text Should Be IndexedPrimary Service Yes YesSecondary Service Selectively NoIndirect Service Yes NoAncillary Service Selectively NoPhantom Service No No

Indexing Principles Accuracy in Indexing

– Choose the most specific term available* which fully describes what is being indexed*Availability of terms will be discussed later

Don’t Double Index– Example—Indexing a service under terms:

• Employment (ND) and• Employment Acquisition (ND-180) and• Job Search/Placement (ND-180.360)

The prohibition on double-indexing is based on the premise that the database/directory user should only have to look under a single term to find all the resources which offer a given service.

Indexing Principles (cont.) Consistency in Indexing

– Once a term has been used to index one record, it should also be used for all other records to which it applies

– Example—If you index Agency A as providing Job Search/Placement (ND-180), you can’t index Agency B as providing Employment Acquisition (ND-180.360)

Understanding a Branch Within the Taxonomy Hierarchy

B R -300 .500M ortga ge

A ss is tance

B R -300 .700R en t

A ss is tan ce

B R -300 .725R en ta l D e pos it

A ss is tan ce

B R -300H ous in g P a ym ent

A ss is tance

B R -900.910 -18E lectr ic B illA ss is tan ce

B R -900.910 -25G as B ill

A ss is tan ce

B R -900.910 -85T e lephone B ill

A ss is tan ce

B R -900.910 -95W ate r B ill

A ss is tan ce

B R -900 .910U tility B il l

A ss is tan ce

B R -900U tility

A ss is tan ce

B RT em po ra ry F in anc ia l A id

BB as ic S ub s is te nce1

2

3

4

5

Consistent Indexingwithin a Branch

B R -300 .500M ortgage

A ssis tance

B R -300 .700R en t

A ss is tance

B R -300 .725R en ta l D epos it

A ss is tance

B R -300 **H ousing Paym ent

A ss is tance

B R -900 .910-18 **E lec tr ic B ill

A ss is is tance

B R -900 .910-25 **G as B ill

A ss is tance

B R -900 .910-85 **T e lephone B ill

A ss is tance

B R -900 .910-95 **W a te r B ill

A ss is tance

B R -900 .910U tility B il l

A ss is tance

B R -900U tility

A ss is tance

B RT em pora ry

F inanc ia l A id

BB asic

S ubs is tence

** = Term authorized for use in indexing

1

2

3

4

5

Tracking Status of Terms in Your Implementation of the Taxonomy B Basic Subsistence BR Temporary Financial Aid BR-900 Utility Bill Assistance BR-900.900 Utility Bill Disconnection Notification*BR-900.910 Utility Bill Payment Assistance BR-900.910-15 Electric Bill Assistance BR-900.910-25 Gas Bill Assistance BR-900.910-30 Heating Bill Assistance

* = Term has been usedText = Term unavailable for use Why?

B Basic Subsistence

BD Food

BD-150 Communal Food

BD-180 Emergency Food

BD-180.100 Brown Bag Programs

BD-180.200 Food Pantries

BD-180.200-20 Food Lines

BD-180.200-62 Occasional Emergency Food

BD-180.200-64 Ongoing Emergency Food

BD-180.225 Food Vouchers

BD-180.250 Government Surplus Food

BD-180.800 Sack Lunches/Dinners

BD-180.820 Specialty Food Providers

BD-180.820-18 Drinking Water

BD-180.820-20 Food Supplements

BD-180.820-25 Formula/Baby Food

BD-200 Food Banks

BD-220 Food Gleaning Programs

BD-240 Food Outlets

BD-240.200 Farm Trails

BD-240.225 Farmers Markets

BD-240.250 Food Co-ops

BD-240.500 Mini Markets

BD-240.900 U-Pick Programs

BD-260 Food Production

BD-260.050 Agricultural Assistance

BD-260.050-33 Irrigation Assistance

BD-260.050-35 Home Gardening Assistance

BD-260.150 Community Gardening

BD-260.450 Livestock Breeding/ Management

BD-260.700 Rent-A-Tree

BD-500 Meals

BD-500.145 Child Care Food Programs

BD-500.150 Congregate Meals

BD-500.350 Home Delivered Meals

BD-500.450 Low-Cost Meals

BD-500.500 Meal Vouchers

BD-500.510 Milk Programs

BD-500.520 Mobile Canteens

BD-500.800 School Breakfasts

BD-500.820 School Lunches

BD-500.830 Soup Kitchens

BD-500.850 Summer Food Service Programs

Taxonomy’s Full Food (BD) Section

Customized For a Comprehensive I&R:

BD-180.200 Food Pantries

BD-180.225 Food Vouchers

BD-180.250 Government Surplus Food

BD-200 Food Banks

BD-260.050 Agricultural Assistance

BD-260.150 Congregate Meals

BD-260.350 Home Delivered Meals

BD-260.830 Soup Kitchens

Customized Food Sections

Customized For a Senior I&R:

BD-180.100 Brown Bag Programs

BD-180.820.20 Food Supplements

BD-240.500 Mini Markets

BD-500.150 Congregate Meals

BD-500.350 Home Delivered Meals

BD-500.450 Low-Cost Meals

Customized For a Disability I&R:

BD-180.820-20 Food Supplements

BD-500.350 Home Delivered Meals

No agency would (or should) use all of the Food terms to index its file. Instead, each agency would choose a particular subset of terms

Factors to Consider inDetermining the Level at

Which to Index a Subject Area How specific are service requests in that subject area? What is the skill level of staff? How specifically can your afford to index? How volatile is the information you are indexing? What are your agency’s priorities?

Remember—Depth of indexing can vary between individual subject areas within a database. All that matters is the absolute consistency within any single subject area.

Specific Indexing Steps

Identify the primary service concept Is a facility type appropriate to describe it? Identify the most appropriate term to

characterize that service concepta Try to use the Classified Index directlyb Use the Outlines for orientationc Use Alphabetical and Permuted Indexes

as access points to the Classified Index Read the definition to verify that the term is

right

Specific Indexing Steps (cont.) Review the hierarchy to confirm the level

selected Look at the See Also references listed for

the term. Should any of them be used to index the concept?

Is a modality needed to clarify the manner in which the service is delivered?

Is a target group needed to clarify the group at which the program is aimed?

If the capability exists in your software, do any of the terms need to be linked?

CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER 3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208 313/832-1470

Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.

Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational activities.

Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.

What are the primary service(s)?

Indexing Exercise #1

Christian Guidance Center

LX Substance Abuse LX-185 Drug Testing LX-330 Inpatient Substance Abuse Programs LX-500 Maintenance Treatment LX-650 Outpatient Substance Abuse Programs LX-700 Residential Substance Abuse Programs LX-800 Smoking Cessation LX-825 Substance Abuse Education/Prevention LX-850 Transitional Substance Abuse Services LX-850.050 Alcoholism-Related Transitional Services LX-850.170 Drug-Related Transitional Services

CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER 3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208 313/832-1470

Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.

Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational activities.

Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.

Are there any appropriate target(s)? Check theY section outline (starting on p. 269)

Target Population YP OffendersYP-100 BatterersYP-100.180 Elder AbusersYP-100.650 Parent AbusersYP-100.800 Spouse/Partner AbusersYP-140 Child AbusersYP-140.330 Incest PerpetratorsYP-160 DefendantsYP-180 DetaineesYP-200 Ex-OffendersYP-250 Gang Members

American Diabetes Association

Indexing Exercise #2(see handout)

Working from the photocopy of the brochure for the American Diabetes Association’s Michigan Chapter, make a list of all the services referred to. Don’t worry about finding the correct Taxonomy terms for each service yet!

American Diabetes AssociationFull Inventory of Services

Research Support Groups Patient Education Professional Education Public Education Literature Hotline Camp Camperships

Youth Services Fund Raising Volunteers Magazine Newsletter Workshops/Meetings Films/Videos Cookbook Recreational Activities Special Library

Indexing Issues forAmerican Diabetes Association

Special Libraries Ancillary ServiceFilm Collections/Video Ancillary ServiceTape CollectionsProfessional Continuing Ancillary ServiceEducationCamperships Secondary ServiceResearch Indirect ServiceRecreational Activities Not Enough InformationVoluntary Activities Policy Decision

Indexing Options forAmerican Diabetes Association

Option 1– Voluntary Health Organizations

Option 2– Voluntary Health Organizations– Health Education– Mutual Support Groups– Camps

Option 3– Voluntary Health Organizations– Disease/Disability Information– Mutual Support Groups– Therapeutic Camps

Option 4– Voluntary Health Organizations– Disease/Disability Information

x Newslettersx Printed Materialsx Workshopsx Medical Information Lines

– Mutual Support Groupsx Health Problems

Counseling– Therapeutic Camps

5/1/00

Converting Your Databaseto the Taxonomy

Convert one subject area at a time. Locate the section(s) of the Taxonomy that

cover(s) the types of resources to be re-indexed. Determine which terms in the Taxonomy can be

eliminated for use in your file. Consider: What type of resources are available in the

community? What are your inclusion criteria for your file? What types of resources does your file

currently contain?

Converting Your Databaseto the Taxonomy (cont.)

Determine the level of detail which is appropriate for the remaining Taxonomy terms. How specific are the service requests you

receive from your clients? What is the skill level of your staff? How specifically can your staff afford to index? How volatile is the information your file

contains? What are your priorities?

Look for legitimate shortcuts. Keep track of available, unavailable, and used

terms (see attached suggested conventions)

Questions About Indexing with the Taxonomy? You can e-mail me, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll have the time or expertise to

help you A better option is to join the AIRS Networker and post your questions there.

(For subscription information, click on:http://www.airs.org/other.htm)

To suggest new indexing terms, write to Georgia Sales (gsales4215@aol.com)

Keeping the TaxonomyUp-to-Date in Your Database

Consult Georgia Sales’ article from v. 20 (1998) of Information and Referral: The AIRS Journal (also available on the AIRS Web site; www.airs.org/library)

Workshop Objectives

To review the Taxonomy’s structure and design To introduce basic principles and practices in indexing To help participants recognize some of the decisions that have

to be made when using the Taxonomy To discuss Taxonomy maintenance and customization

procedures

Note—Please take the time to fill out your workshop evaluation forms. The information you supply will be helpful both to me and to planners of future conferences.